The Star Witness Who Never Testified at Trump’s Trial

Days before his inauguration in Washington in 2017, Donald Trump had a debt to settle in New York: a payout to his fixer, Michael D. Cohen. They met on the 26th floor of Trump Tower, Cohen says, and struck a $420,000 deal. Seven years later, Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan hinges on that fleeting encounter, which is both critically important and completely in dispute. Cohen says he paid off a porn star at his boss’ behest, and in that meeting, he and Trump settled on a plan to repay him and